Re: Another? modern diesel engine going south too soon

General feedback.
The local Nissan dealer begged me to not buy another car for the next few days. They dispute the low compression result and want to spend a few days fault finding. In order to do this they gave my daughter a vehicle to use and they are not going to charge me for their efforts.
How is that for service??

Re: Another? modern diesel engine going south too soon

Mid morning I get a call from the dealer. Can I please come and see!
They show me a cambelt halfway off the pulley. I call my daughter and she checks her records and yes, the cambelt was replaced at the 180k service. John (the most capable and trustworthy mechanic I have ever come across) is of the opinion that it could be the problem, as it could snooker the sensors on the cam and crank. I ask for a quote to replace the cambelt and serpentine belt, tensioner and water pump. Looks like about R7k before vat and labour. My only question: will it fix the car? John says, he thinks so. The boss is less convinced.
I say "stop" and ask for a trade-in value on a new Micra as is (simply to get a line in the sand on what the car could be worth). With that I'm off to work again. 3PM I return to the garage, my mind is made up and my wife is packed... we are off to Jhb to buy another car.
I get to the Micra and John is busy putting the last covers back. Then he shows me a ruined pulley (the one lip is gone), a frayed cambelt and a real sorry looking serpentine belt. Now it is dawning on me that I'm looking at the stuff that came from the Micra. Then the sales manager comes in to inform me that they will give me R40k for the Micra as is as a trade-in. By now my target cars in Jhb were more in the R80k bracket than the R60k - R75k I had hoped for. As the sales manager is sweetening up a deal for me on a new Datsun Go (with airbags and ABS, mind you), John and his boss are fireing up the Micra and off they go. I could sommer see it was pulling well as they disappeared up the road. On return they are all smiles. Next it's me and John and off we zoom... the little Micra pulls like a steam train.
I call my daughter: good news, the car seems fixed and bad news, you were so close to getting a new car for XMass.
The findings and general consensus is:
The friendly diesel mac that helped my son in law to service the car, had replaced the tensioner the wrong way round. This resulted in the belt moving and wearing off the "retaining ridges" on the crank pulley as well as the water pump. The shifting of the belt (and the back to front tensioner) resulted in poor tension and, like they say in the classics, the rest is history.
A new water pump and tensioner are on order and will be fitted early next week.
Bottom-line is: it looks as if the car is fixed, but let's give it a few days before we break out the real champagne.

The Following User Says Thank You to MariusFourie For This Useful Post:

Re: Another? modern diesel engine going south too soon

Roelf, I am glad that the car got sorted.

My story....
I bought a 2002 Daihatsu Rocky sans injectors and turbo as a 'to be stripped for spares' vehicle.

But a good Samaritan came across my path and he had those parts lying a store. I had them checked and fitted it to the vehicle. Took it for a drive after fitment...no power, hard starting and spike in temp.

Stripped down to cambelt....the crank bolt was loose, like hand tight loose.
The crank key on the front front pulley was non existent and and was turning on the crank shaft. The sprocket key way was also damaged.
The Cambelt itself was in good nick.

Car has 143 000km on the clock. I suspect the cambelt was replaced at 100 000km but the crank bolt wasn't sufficiently tightened. (special tool required as torque is 215Nm). Over time things probably got worse and turbo and injectors were suspected, thus they being removed. Play on crank lead to timing going for a loop. Garage lost turbo and injectors...but that's another story.

Moral...a simple problem led to a wrong and expensive diagnoses. Busy sorting that.

Re: Another? modern diesel engine going south too soon

Roelf whatever the end result, it seems you are onto a good dealer with the help and assistance they provide. That is worth something as well.
Hope it all pans out well.

No doubt about that. I've known the team there forever. The service manager, who is also the co-owner after him and his sister inherited the business, was a young mechanic when they had to replace the gearbox on my brand new 5 door Nissan Sani 3.0 V6 in 1991. It was the first time a gearbox had to come off one of those and nobody knew how to do it. The bakkie gearbox tilted up into the cab and then down and out. The Sani's couldn't, so the young mechanic had to literally make notes as he battled, so that a procedure could be drawn up. He actually made mention of that Sani today.
They also serviced my Pajeros after the maintenance plan period. I have a very good bond with John. He used to be the local Toyota service manager (also race engineer for a Toyota off-road racing team) and then had a very succesful indi service centre, which Ford bought from him to establish a dealership. Bad luck and a terrible investment decision saw him back on the tools.
Those are the gents I had in my corner and I couldn't ask for more personal or better professional service.

Re: Another? modern diesel engine going south too soon

Cam belt change at 180 000km, 220 000km before the problem manifests itself. That's an awfully long time and there's bound to be more damage and wear than simply to the tensioner and water pump.

As mentioned by Prof see to have them remove and examine all pulley and shaft keyways (locating pins or whatever keying that engine uses).

Those are the gents I had in my corner and I couldn't ask for more personal or better professional service.

Indeed, you have a few gems there ... when you eventually break out the champagne, no doubt you'll spare one for them too. On a further positive note, I suppose your daughter'll now begin driving with a bit more circumspect and sympathy.